The Gospel According to Esther

The Fear of the Law

All throughout this book, we have an awareness of the law of the king and his commitment to getting what he wants. For instance:

When Queen Vashti refused to come and be flaunted before his guests, he got rid of her.

When Mordecai wept because of Haman’s decree, he wouldn’t enter the gates because of the king.

When Esther was confronted by Mordecai and asked to go before the king, she reminds him of the law.

In Esther 4:11, she says:

Esther 4:11 NKJV

11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.”

In essence, Esther reminds us that the king isn’t to be messed with. And while this tells us something about King Ahasuerus, it also reminds us of the law of the One Just King, God Himself. In Exodus 20:5

Exodus 20:5 NKJV

5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

When Adam failed to obey the Law of God in the Garden, he not only gave up his right to earn eternal life by obedience, but he plunged all of us into sin. Because of this, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. Since this is the case, you’ll notice the same response to God’s holiness throughout the Bible. When Adam fell, he and Eve ran to hide from God. When Isaiah saw God’s glory, he cries in Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah 6:5 NKJV

5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

When Peter sees his sin and Jesus’s glory in Luke 5:8, he says:

Luke 5:8 NKJV

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

In summary, when people recognize their sinfulness, the fear of the Law will consume them. In Psalm 32, we read Psalm 32:1-4

Psalm 32:1–4 NKJV

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

When we minimize our sin, and refuse to recognize the Law of God, we devalue God’s holiness and disregard His grace. So, the first thing we need to get in Esther 5, is that there is a story of law and grace getting ready to be played out. Just like we deserve death because of our violation of God’s law, Esther deserved to die because she violated the King’s law. But that’s not what happens is it? Which leads me to our second point:

The Glory of Grace

In Esther 5:2, we read something surprising:

Esther 5:2 NKJV

2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.

Instead of being consumed by the Law, she was rescued by the love of the King. This is the same with us, isn’t is? When the law demanded our death, we recieved grace instead, but why? Notice that verse one says that before she went in the king’s court, she put on her royal robes. It seems to me that Esther wanted to do everything she could to remind the King that she belonged to him. Likewise, when the Father looks at us, we find favor in His sight, not because of anything we have done, but because of what He’s given us through Jesus. Isaiah 61:10

Isaiah 61:10 NKJV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

In Esther 5:3, instead of calling her a criminal for the law she had just broken, he calls her “Queen Esther.” Likewise, because we are favored in God’s sight by Jesus’s work for us, we are no longer called criminals and rebels, but a nation of kings and priests unto God.

With this grace in mind, we can come to our final point:

A Divine Invitation

What does the king respond with when she comes before him? He invites her to make her petition known to him. In essence, when you’re warmly welcomed into the presence of the King, you’re invited to make bold requests.

In Psalm 32:5-6 we read:

Psalm 32:5f NKJV

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.

So, because we’ve recieved God’s grace, we are invited to come before Him and to make our hearts deepest cares known to Him.

Conclusion:

We should never forget the law we’ve broken and the grace we’ve recieved.

Our prayers should be encouraged when we remember the grace given.

Finally, we need to remember that the Lord goes before us.

In verse 2, we are told that Esther found favor in the King’s sight. In Proverbs 21:1 “1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

In our lives, we are going to find ourselves called to do difficult things. In Esther’s case, she did nothing special. She didn’t bake him his favorite pie and she didn’t argue with him. She simply prayed, fasted and trusted in the Lord.

I think there is a great deal of peace found when we get to a place where we can say, “Lord, I’ve done all I can do, and I’m going to do what I know needs to be done. But if any good is going to come out of this, it’s going to be by your doing.”